Mr Martin called on the Taoiseach to stop hiding behind “anonymous briefings” and special advisers.

He said Mr Kenny’s speech at the Fine Gael national convention was filled with “inaccurate and clichéd” attacks on Fianna Fail.

“All of this is standard FG fare and no more than we have come to expect from a party that has no vision of its own and no message other than negative attacks on others,” Mr Martin said.

“The sad fact is that the Fine Gael party, in the absence of any vision for the future, want to base the upcoming election on a distorted and patronising analysis of the past.

"Mr Kenny will continue to run from debate because he has calculated that him to have any chance staying in the Taoiseach's office, he must avoid honest debate and limit his exposure to genuine challenge to the absolute bare minimum.”